Atlanta Hawks: Heat at Hawks
Zaza was raving the other day about a saying he saw on Twitter:
“Better to have it well done than well said.”
What he means is it’s time for the Hawks to stop talking and start doing. There are just two exhibition games left, tonight vs. the D-Wade less Heat and tomorrow at Charlotte. The season starts Wednesday in Memphis.
Can the Hawks get it together by then?
“I am sure that is a question on everyone’s mind after seeing us play five games we have already played,” Zaza said. “I am sure nobody is happy who is cheering for the Hawks. It starts from us, the players, the coaching staff, the management–nobody is happy.”
Yes, there have been injuries. There’s a new coach. There’s a new offense. It will take time.
But now the Hawks are healthy, the season is approaching and there has to be some urgency.
“We haven’t had really had the chance to play together,” Teague said. “At the offensive end it is kind of stagnant. We are still trying to figure things out. Guys really don’t know it all the way. But we can always play defense, and that’s something we have been working on really hard these last couple practices. I think you will see a whole different side of us tonight.”
Heard that one before from the Hawks. In fact, they were saying pretty much the same thing before getting blown out (again) by the Magic Monday night. Well said but not well done.
Bibby made it a point to say he would take on the challenge of getting the offense going.
“Teams have been really coming hard at us,” Bibby said. “I think it starts with me. I put that on me as far as giving energy to the team and try to get us easy baskets instead of trying to set up in the halfcourt. I think the energy will be better tonight. I am going to start with me and try to get everybody easy baskets.”
That’s fine but L.D. is trying to make it about defense. He said the Hawks made some strides when they held Orlando to 44 points in the first half Monday. He noted it will take time to create a culture of all-out defense.
The Hawks are running out of time before the games start counting.
“I think that when Coach Drew came in, a lot of people talked about the offense but I think what he’s been harping is on defense,” Al said. “I think the only way that this team can amount to anything is if we can consistently bring it on the defensive end. And I know we’ve talked about this in the past but it has to happen in order for us to have any chance. That’s effort, playing hard, really getting after it hard consistently from everybody. Because if one guy breaks down it can throw the whole thing off.”
MC
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312 comments Add your comment
northcyde
October 21st, 2010
8:55 pm
For all of you that talked about the bench playing more last year, what you see tonight is basically what they did all season. Whatever advantage that the starters built in the 1st quarter, was usually given right back to the other team as soom as the bench came in.
Atl least JJ is ballin.
STEEL(Formerly VenomSpitter)
October 21st, 2010
8:55 pm
LOL @ Marvin
cp
October 21st, 2010
8:56 pm
smdh@Marvin. This dude yo smh
STEEL(Formerly VenomSpitter)
October 21st, 2010
8:56 pm
Al is shooting like Josh lol
bigdave
October 21st, 2010
8:56 pm
Al has missed that shot @ least 5 times tonight.
GET IN GYM.
Najeh Davenpoop
October 21st, 2010
8:57 pm
I can definitely see what MC means when he says the Hawks tend to settle into iso every now and then. At times they make a conscious effort to share the ball and get it inside — as they should have been doing for 6 years — but at other times they tend to settle in to standing around and watching someone go one-on-one. Again, the idea of the new offense is great, but the execution is still a work in progress.
drmaryb (*_*)
October 21st, 2010
8:57 pm
Lethal Weapon!
ISO-JOE when properly applied is about as Nasty as PRECIOUS
in a Magic-City Thong!
eewee … yikes!
Najeh Davenpoop
October 21st, 2010
8:58 pm
I can tell you one thing — the coverage of this game wouldn’t be THIS one-sided if Shaq was on the Hawks.
bigdave
October 21st, 2010
8:58 pm
we actually look like a NBA basketball team.
STEEL(Formerly VenomSpitter)
October 21st, 2010
9:00 pm
Marvin abused lol
Najeh Davenpoop
October 21st, 2010
9:01 pm
Even that last possession started with a little too much standing around, but then I saw something real nice — Al Horford taking it inside aggressively instead of waiting, waiting, waiting and shooting a contested turnaround jumper.
GET A CENTER HAWKS,HORSFORD IS A PF
October 21st, 2010
9:01 pm
REGGIE JUST SAID AL HORSFORD IS A POWERFORWARD!
bigdave
October 21st, 2010
9:01 pm
most teams iso, plays arent run every time down the court… when isolation is your primary set, option b and c .. thats when you’re in trouble..
STEEL(Formerly VenomSpitter)
October 21st, 2010
9:02 pm
ZaZa is GARBAGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
DAMN
Najeh Davenpoop
October 21st, 2010
9:02 pm
The first unit is doing a much, much better job defensively than the second unit. Ideally you would like to see the second unit come in and provide SOMETHING — either an offensive spark or a defensive spark. Nobody on the Hawks’ bench seems capable of doing that other than Jamal. (Of course, we haven’t seen Jordan yet — I’d like to see what he can do).
cp
October 21st, 2010
9:03 pm
What the Hell is Al doing.
Najeh Davenpoop
October 21st, 2010
9:03 pm
Bibby has held his own defensively in this game.
bigdave
October 21st, 2010
9:03 pm
Al is trippin.
should have given the ball to Bibby when he asked for it..
this isnt Woody ball Al.. give the ball to the guard and sprint.
STEEL(Formerly VenomSpitter)
October 21st, 2010
9:04 pm
Seriously Collins should be ahead of PaTRASHia on the Depth chart
bigdave
October 21st, 2010
9:04 pm
Najeh..
Bibby hasnt looked bad @ all defensively.. he just hasnt hit shots.. by far the worse defender has been Jamal. he just looks disinterested in defense.. yet wants the ball on the other end.
Najeh Davenpoop
October 21st, 2010
9:04 pm
Horford just looks off on the offensive end in every way.
cp
October 21st, 2010
9:04 pm
Josh Boone couldnt have been any worse than ZaZa.
drmaryb (*_*)
October 21st, 2010
9:04 pm
Coast to Coast!
Al should have handed the ball off to Bibby. Hawks free-lancing now, Coach must have called the green light to leþ them run and feel the game some?
Sautee
October 21st, 2010
9:04 pm
Al is making AWFUL decisions. Trying way too hard.
Najeh Davenpoop
October 21st, 2010
9:07 pm
Great pass by Bibby on that play to set up a free throw opportunity for Collins. That 2nd pass NEVER happens last year, but it has happened on more than one occasion tonight.
bigdave
October 21st, 2010
9:07 pm
Za Za would’ve hesitated.. then missed over the rim or traveled.
GET A CENTER HAWKS,HORSFORD IS A PF
October 21st, 2010
9:08 pm
CENTER-JOSH POWELL
POWER F-AL HORSFORD
SMALL F-JOSH SMITH
SHOOT GUARD-JOE JOHNSON
POINT GUARD-MIKE BIBBY
Najeh Davenpoop
October 21st, 2010
9:09 pm
They are playing “Black and Yellow” over the PA system, but I want to see someone on the defense making LeBron black and blue when he drives inside. This game is coming waaaay too easy for him.
Rev in Tampa
October 21st, 2010
9:09 pm
Watching Horford play PF with Zaza in the game is unimpressive to me. Horford can’t make a lay-up or get a rebound and Horford is too stationary. It looks to me that Horford is more comfortable at center.
bigdave
October 21st, 2010
9:09 pm
Lebron looking for the switch to draw Al ..
haha.. not so fast brother. it aint happening this year. you going to have to earn it..
Najeh Davenpoop
October 21st, 2010
9:11 pm
They are definitely trying to pass more. That in itself is a major improvement over last year. It doesn’t work every time — some of the passes are just not on point, some of them are forced, sometimes they forget to pass, but just seeing them try more is a huge improvement. Now it’s just a matter of refining the execution.
cp
October 21st, 2010
9:11 pm
Jamal doesn’t even put a hand up defensively smh. I thought we would see more Teague tonight.
O'Brien
October 21st, 2010
9:11 pm
One thing that ticks me off. When you foul LeBron, why dont you foul him hard?
He gets a lot of and ones, because guys just reach in. Foul him hard!
12 FTs already
Agreed about our bench. When they come in, they give up a lead unless Jamal does his thing. And when starters come in, they are playing from behind.
Rev in Tampa
October 21st, 2010
9:12 pm
Way to be physical Cheeeeseburger!
Najeh Davenpoop
October 21st, 2010
9:12 pm
Nice to see Collins not taking any of that sh-t from Bosh… would have liked to see him put Bosh on his azz though. Still waiting for the Hawks to get someone who is willing to throw some bows and put people on their azz. They haven’t had that since Mutombo.
bigdave
October 21st, 2010
9:12 pm
“It looks to me that Horford is more comfortable at center”
ive been saying that.. his game just isnt suited for today’s PF. his skill set is best @ center he is just undersized. he’s always been bully ball.. if he wants to be effective he is going to have to work on FACE UP GAME.. 10-12 ft’er with consistency.. and a SECONDARY MOVE. this isnt FLA.
bigdave
October 21st, 2010
9:13 pm
wwhat??? clearly a block.
Najeh Davenpoop
October 21st, 2010
9:13 pm
That’s the second questionable offensive foul call in this half… at least they changed that one.
bigdave
October 21st, 2010
9:14 pm
he 100 mil plus.. give him some respect..
cp
October 21st, 2010
9:15 pm
This has been a good game. Missed way too many free throws
Najeh Davenpoop
October 21st, 2010
9:16 pm
Love the defensive energy to close the half. The new offense looks pretty promising, and at least the first unit seems to be able to make a mental commitment towards playing man to man defense. The execution leaves a lot to be desired on a lot of occasions, but at the very least I think this team is more likely to live up to its “Highlight Factory” nickname on a more regular basis.
I hope Jordan Crawford gets more burn in the 2nd half (is he injured or something?)
I’d like to see how all this works on the road though…
J from the A
October 21st, 2010
9:16 pm
The Hawks may be down by a few, but they look a lot better tonight, a lot better.
drmaryb (*_*)
October 21st, 2010
9:19 pm
N er G!
Fresh
October 21st, 2010
9:20 pm
The Hawks look pretty good. Josh has to stay out of fould trouble. Marvin does as well a job as anyone when it comes to guarding Lebron (Although he gets burned from time to time, but who doesn’t against Lebron?)
I want to see the starters play again after the half…the starters looked damn-good together!
J from the A
October 21st, 2010
9:21 pm
And what’s up with the announcers’ love fest for the Heat? It seems like they only talked about the Hawks twice and both times it was negative. The rest of the time it’s: The Heat this. The Heat that.
And since when are the Heat, as currently built, a strong defensive team? The Heat are defensively soft. (And that is to put it mildly.)
Oh, and I am tired of hearing about all the Heat’s injuries and how these injuries are disrupting their continuity. blah, blah, blah. Don’t they know the Hawks have experienced many more injuries this preseason.
bigdave
October 21st, 2010
9:21 pm
72-10
credit the space jam j’s
Fresh
October 21st, 2010
9:21 pm
My guess is Jo Crawford is gonna get around 35-40 mins tomorrow night being that it’s a back-to-back.
Rev in Tampa
October 21st, 2010
9:22 pm
Opps on my 9:09 post. Meant to say Zaza (instead of Horford) can’t make a layup or get a rebound.
Najeh Davenpoop
October 21st, 2010
9:22 pm
“And what’s up with the announcers’ love fest for the Heat? It seems like they only talked about the Hawks twice and both times it was negative. The rest of the time it’s: The Heat this. The Heat that.”
That’s how it’s going to be all year, against every team except Boston and LA. Might as well get used to it.
O'Brien
October 21st, 2010
9:23 pm
Hawks 13-19 from the FT. 68% we need to do better. Thats free points we are giving up.
And 1-6 from 3. Thiis is game #6 in the preseason. And in 4 of the 6 games, our 3pt % has been bad.